Bengal civic polls: TMC nonetheless far, far forward, however Left sees a shot at second spot

As the counting of outcomes for the 108 civic our bodies wrapped up Wednesday, the TMC completed with 1,867 seats and management of all firms, bar one. The solo non-TMC municipality now could be Taherpur, gained by the Left Front. In phrases of seats, it bought 57 to the BJP’s 63 and the Congress’s 59. However, in vote share, it was neck-and-neck with the BJP and forward of the Congress.

If the TMC bought 62.44% votes as per State Election Commission sources – the official information will not be out – the BJP and Left Front had been nearly tied at 13.42% and 13.57% respectively. The Congress vote share was 5.06%.

CPM leaders expressed satisfaction that the get together seems to be gaining misplaced floor not solely within the Kolkata company space but in addition in districts. A senior chief stated, “We fought in opposition to atrocities of the ruling get together. Wherever we had been in a position to shield polling cubicles from TMC goons, we gained.”

The Opposition has claimed there was large-scale violence throughout the polls held on February 27. However, the authorities stated there have been solely stray incidents.

After 2011, when Mamata Banerjee got here to energy for the primary time, the Left’s vote share has been declining. From 30% of the votes in 2011, its vote share fell to only 7% within the 2021 Assembly elections. It didn’t win a single seat within the Assembly.

The Left confirmed indicators of a climb again first within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls in December 2021, when it got here second in 65 seats with 11.87% votes, forward of the BJP’s 48 seats and 9.19% votes. In 4 different civic physique polls that adopted, in February — Asansol, Biddhannagar, Chandannagar and Siliguri – if the TMC obtained 61% of the votes, the Left Front bought 16.75% and the BJP 14.5%.

The setbacks to the BJP will not be shocking. The get together has been imploding because the Assembly elections, which could possibly be one cause for a few of its votes returning to the Left, which dominated Bengal for 3 many years earlier than it was changed by the TMC. Several Left leaders additionally see within the outcomes an indictment of the TMC’s dealing with of the probe into pupil chief Anis Khan’s homicide.

Even so, no get together is wherever near the TMC within the state. Besides the seats it gained, the TMC is taking a look at finally having a maintain over nearly 100 Independent winners who’re its rebels. Many of them are believed to have already expressed their willingness to return. TMC chief Partha Chatterjee stated a name on this may be taken by Banerjee.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated the Opposition didn’t hassle it. “They are far behind. It is true some BJP vote has shifted to the Left camp but a major share of the vote of the BJP has also shifted to us.”

He added: “People of Bengal have given us the primary place. We don’t wish to take into consideration who got here distant second or third… However it’s true that individuals who gave votes to the BJP within the 2019 Lok Sabha and the 2021 Assembly elections have realised the get together’s true character. Those individuals at the moment are voting for the TMC, and, sure, a few of them are additionally voting for the Left.”

CPM chief Sujan Chakraborty stated the get together had fought in opposition to “tremendous violence” by the TMC. “In Taherpur, individuals resisted the TMC violence, and therefore we gained that municipality. In different locations additionally, individuals tried, however failed.”

Dilip Ghosh, nationwide vice-president of the BJP, instructed The Indian Express that there was no denying that the get together has slipped within the state. However, he cited the rationale as “lack of an environment for free and fair campaigns”. “This time 50% of our workers and even candidates could not campaign out of fear.”